Char comes swooping in with a wide smile, stopping instantly when she sees my face.
“Archie?” She mouths, and I shake my head.
“Billy, if Archie wanted to leave me over not being able to have kids, he could have. He could have chosen to not bleedin’ marry me. But he did.”
Char’s face is lethal, and she plants her hands firmly on her hips.
“What’s he bloody on about?” She raises her eyebrows. “It’s called Divorce, William!” She calls so she can be heard down the line. “A term you perhaps should have made yourself familiar with.”
Billy coughs and splutters down the line, and I can hear someone fussing over him in the background.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he chokes out. “I can hear you’re not alone there, Mia.”
“No, I’m not, my friend is here to come to the event tonight.”
“Yes, and we need to leave, now!” Char calls, tapping her foot on the floor.
“She’s extremely rude,” Billy says with a sniff. “No wonder Archie doesn’t like her.”
“Do you have a point to this conversation besides blaming me for Archie going out and shagging other women? Or was that it? Because for you to call just to hurt me, well… I did not see that coming.” My eyes burn, and I swallow down the lump that catches in my throat.
“You know I like you a great deal.”
I laugh harshly. “Yeah, I thought you did. Anyway, I have to go.”
He’s still protesting when I punch my finger against the screen and end the call. My hands are shaking, and I place them both palm down on the dressing table to calm myself.
“I could kill him,” Char says with a shrug. “Slip something into that oxygen tank of his, or stick my leg out when he’s trying to get down the stairs.”
My shoulders shake as I laugh. “He probably takes the lift.”
“Then I’ll cut the brake wires. I’ll figure something out.” She moves to my side, putting her hands on my shoulders. “Hey.”
I lift my eyes to meet hers in the mirror.
“He’s a privileged, pathetic old twat who neglected his wife and kids. He’s not worth your worry, or your time. You’re a million times the person he’ll ever be.” She gives me a warm smile. “Archie’s choices are not your choices. He chose this. And honestly, he’d have done it whether you’d had a baby or not. Because it’s about him being an insecure little shit. Not about you.” She wraps her arms around my shoulders, pressing her cheek to mine. “You’re lovely. And you deserve so much better.”
I run my hand along her arm. “Thank you.”
“The only thing Billy has going for him is his tits are bigger than yours,” Char says, and I burst out laughing.
“Well, now I feel loads better.”
“Good!” Char squeezes my shoulders again, and turns to retrieve her clutch from the bed. “Because our car will be here any minute, and we are going to have a good night!”
The launch is being heldin a fancy hotel by the Thames, with some obscure name like O or 10, I keep forgetting which. By the time I make my way inside past the press, it doesn’t matter anyway. Char dazzles them all, talking animatedly about my next campaigns and my partnerships, doing an excellent PR job in Holly’s absence.
“You know more about my career than I do,” I murmur to her as we make our way into the artfully concreted lobby, underneath an abstract copper chandelier adorned with oversized light bulbs.
“Is Priest going to be here tonight?” Char asks, linking her arm in mine. “I really need to get a selfie with him to make my sister wildly jealous.”
I cover a laugh with my hand. “Yes, he said he’d be here.”
“Oh,good. My instagram is going to be the source of tears tonight.”
As we make our way past the groups of people, I scan for faces I know, and see far too many. London really is a village sometimes.
Char squeals, and suddenly I’m dragged towards a corner of the room.
